Try Something New
by tashayar333
Summary: "Try something new, darling. It's called trust." When Emma and Hook get stranded in Fairy Tale Land without anyone else, they have to find a way back to Storybrooke. And a way to trust each other. Captain Swan
1. Chapter 1

Killian Jones watched Emma fade from his sight as she left the room. He felt incredibly betrayed. He helped her get this far, and she leaves him stuck here with a bloody giant? How dare she! He had only met her a few days before, why was he feeling so hurt? And why were there tears in her eyes before she turned away from him?

Hook began fiddling with the cuffs. If he could get out of them soon, then maybe he could catch up with the group before they got too far.

"You won't be getting out of those cuffs without my help," a loud booming voice said. Hook started, turning towards the giant.

"How did you manage to stay so quiet all of a sudden?" Hook asked before he could stop himself. The giant smiled down at him, amused.

"Did you see how precariously stacked these treasures were? How do you think I managed to keep them like that if I stomped around constantly? That's always been for show, to scare away intruders. Contrary to what seems to be popular belief, I really don't enjoy killing people. It just always seemed necessary to protect myself. Your friend there was the first human I've met that genuinely seemed like she didn't want me dead."

"She is quite the woman. Reminds me of someone I knew long ago." Hook said mostly to himself, pulling the cuff down his wrist so he could see the name inscribed there. "I don't suppose I could convince you to release me? I'm afraid she may not realize just what she's up against." Plus, Hook was worried that the longer he was stuck up here, the more chance he'd get left behind. The giant managed a cynical grimace.

"She spared me, so I owe her. But I don't owe you anything. You're stuck here."

* * *

Emma lay on the ground, staring at the vast swirls of stars. Mulan and Aurora were already asleep as Mary Margaret stood watch. Emma was exhausted from climbing, but she just couldn't fall asleep. Her mind was racing. She had this bad feeling that something was about to happen, something bad. And she couldn't get Hook out of her head. He just reminded her so much of Neal, but with one hand and a generous amount of eye makeup.

"So what happened up there?" Mary Margaret asked, watching the flames lick the cool air. Emma stayed still, hoping to avoid this particular conversation. "I can tell you're awake, so you might as well stop pretending."

"I left him. Nothing more to tell." Emma said, turning to face her mother.

"Why? Why does it matter if he's with us or not?" Emma stayed silent for a moment. She really didn't want to talk about this, but she could also tell that Mary Margaret was trying to make up for lost time, trying to be a mom to her.

"He reminds me of…" she trailed off, trying to put the jumbled thoughts in her head together to form a coherent sentence. "He reminds me of someone I knew a long time ago." Mary Margaret gave her a knowing smile.

"Henry's father?" she asked. Emma nodded, glancing back up at Mary Margaret. She wasn't sure how much she should say. Her first instinct was to shut her out, but Emma also figured that if Mary Margaret was willing to make an effort as her mom, maybe Emma could make an effort to be a daughter.

"I was in love with him, and he left me, let me take the fall for his crime." Emma managed to say. Mary Margaret watched her for a moment before looking back at the small fire.

"I'm sorry." She said, her voice filled with regret. Emma sat up, torn between what she felt was an obligation to comfort her newly discovered mother and the urge to flee the situation. She decided on the second option.

"I'm gonna go find more firewood. I'll be back in a minute," she said, patting Mary Margaret's arm awkwardly before standing and heading into the woods. She only walked a few yards into the trees before leaning against a tree. She felt incredibly overwhelmed all of a sudden. If someone had told her a month ago that she would be trapped in a land of fairytales with Mulan, Sleeping Beauty and Captain Hook, fighting Ogres, Giants, and Regina's evil mother, she would have told them they were crazy. Unless it was Henry, which then she would smile, nod, and play along. But now, she was having a bit of a mental breakdown. It seemed like everything she had believed before had suddenly all crashed around her. She just needed a few minutes to collect her thought, and then she'd head back to camp with a couple logs.

She took a deep breath and slowly returned to her normal guarded self. She was about to turn back when she heard a twig crack.

"Mary Margaret?" she whispered, eyes wildly searching the area.

"Not quite," a painfully familiar voice drawled. Captain Hook stepped from the shadows smirking at her with a devilish gleam in his eye.

"Hook. How did you find us so quickly?" she asked.

"I had help." Hook said, brandishing a dagger from his belt.

"Cora," Emma breathed, glancing around nervously. "You're back with her."

"I did tell you, darling, that I'd swear allegiance to the first person to get me to Storybrooke. And after your little deception, I didn't have much of a choice, did I?" he said, stalking towards her slowly, a smirk spreading across his face. "And I believe you have something we need."

Before she knew it, Hook had Emma pressed against a tree, his hook digging into the bark next to her head. He brought his dagger up, pressing it gently to her throat.

"Where's the compass, Emma?" he whispered in her ear, his breath sending a shiver down her spine.

"I don't have it," she said, tensing as she felt the dagger begin to bite into her skin. Hook's grin widened.

"You'd think someone who prides herself on being a human lie detector would be a bit better at lying," he said, digging his hook out of the tree and sliding it around her bicep. He sheathed his sword. "I'll just have to search you then."

He placed his hand on her side; sliding it slowly down to the pocket she had slipped the compass into right before she had betrayed him. She placed her hand over his, stopping it before it reached the compass. She pressed closer to him, smirking as the grin dropped from his face. In one swift move, Emma switched their places and grabbed his dagger, pressing it to his throat. She winced slightly as his hook dug into her arm. She pulled the hook out, wincing slightly, and took it from him.

"Nice try," Emma said, stepping back. She kept the tip of his dagger pointed at his chest, insuring he wouldn't try anything.

"You bested me," he said in disbelief, "Thrice. You're the only one who's ever done that." The flirtatious pirate exterior fell away as Hook looked at her in awe.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret ran up to her, bow and quiver in hand, and Mulan and Aurora following close behind. "Hook?"

"He snuck up on me. He was trying to get the compass. He's working with Cora." Emma said, not taking her eyes off Hook for a second.

"Where is that witch?" Mary Margaret asked, glaring at the pirate.

"Such harsh words for your grandmother." A voice said from behind the group. Mulan pulled her sword from her belt, turning towards Cora, who appeared from thin air. Emma turned around, pointing Hook's dagger at Cora instead.

"Step grandmother," Snow said, knocking an arrow into place and aiming at Cora. Cora's face twisted into a sinister grin. She waved her hand, and the compass materialized in her hand. Emma felt her pocket, confirming Cora had taken it.

"NO!" Aurora shouted, rushing towards Cora. Aurora reached for the compass in Cora's hand, but Cora simply plunged her hand into Aurora's chest, pulling her heart out.

"AURORA, NO!" Mulan shouted, stepping towards them. Cora grinned, slowly squeezing the heart, savoring the look of pure agony on the young princess's face. She crushed it into dust, letting the ashes fall to the ground. Aurora fell over, dead. Mulan's nostril's flared in barely contained anger, but Snow stopped her from making the same mistake the other princess did. Hook stepped around Emma, taking his hook from her hand and backing towards Cora. He smirked back at Emma as he returned his hook to its rightful place, but his smirk faltered when he felt something wrap around his arms.

"Sorry Hook, but you won't be coming with me." Cora said, manipulating the trees around them to lift him off the ground. She turned him to face her.

"You didn't really think I'd allow a washed up pirate come with me, for, what, a quarrel over your hand?" She said, uncorking the bottle of ashes and pouring them into her hand. She turned and blew the ashes into the air. They began to swirl, forming a large swirling circle. She moved to step through it.

"CORA!" Snow shouted, pulling the string of her bow back and letting an arrow fly. Cora turned just as the arrow should've hit her, but the arrow flew sideways, burrowing deep into a tree. Cora grinned again, before turning and stepping through the portal. Mulan was first to follow, and Snow White was close behind. Hook hit the ground as soon as Cora was through the portal, the magic leaving the branches that had been holding him back.

"Come on, Hook, let's go," Emma said, pausing briefly to help him to his feet. She rushed towards the portal, only to have it swirl into nonexistence right before her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hello all! I realize i didn't really put an authors note on my first chapter, so here we go!**

**So I'm not quite sure how long this story will be yet, but I know where it's going. Nothing much happens in this chapter, but I'd like to point out that I wrote this with a quote from one of the creators in mind. He had said that Emma left Hook at the top of the beanstalk because she could tell that she was letting her walls down, and she'd been burned before and didn't want to get burned again. She shares more than we would probably expect Emma to because she's oddly comfortable with Hook.**

**Thanks also to my beautiful beta! Couldn't have gotten this far without you, sweetie!**

**Anyhoo, on with the story!**

* * *

"They're gone." Emma said brokenly as she stared at the spot where Snow disappeared through the portal mere seconds ago. Hook stopped a few feet behind her. The realization that they were stuck there didn't hit him as hard as it did Emma. He was used to this land, but Emma was just torn away from everything she'd ever known.

She stood there staring blankly until Hook finally decided to interrupt.

"We should find cover, love. It'll be dark soon, and ogres have the advantage then." He abandoned the flirtatiousness for now, figuring that would just piss her off.

Emma simply nodded and let Hook lead her off. He kept his hand on the small of her back as she walked, but she didn't even seem to notice. Hook tried several times to start a conversation with her, but she didn't even hear him.

Hook led Emma to the cave that he and Cora had been hiding in before she double crossed him. She left a lot of supplies behind, which was good because Hook wasn't sure how long they'd be stuck here, if not forever.

"Sit down, darling. I'm just going to grab some wood for a fire. I'll be back in a minute," he said, helping her sit and turning to go. She grabbed his hook, stopping him.

"Could you just…" Emma started, her voice broken and depressed. She looked down at the floor next to her and looked back up at him, gesturing for him to sit. He watched her a second longer, her face more open and hurt than he'd ever seen it, before complying. He put his arm around her. She stayed still, letting the silent tears roll down her face. She laughed humorlessly.

"I'm sorry." She said, wiping her face with her hands and pulling away. He watched the walls slowly rebuild in her eyes.

"What is there to be sorry for?" he asked, turning to face her.

"I abandoned him. Again, I promised him I wasn't going anywhere, and now I'm stuck here forever without my son," she laughed again, "A few weeks ago, I didn't believe any of this was even possible. And now…" She trailed off, "And I just found my real parents, and now they're both over there with my son, so now I have no one. I'm just so overwhelmed." She said, her voice lowering.

"Hey, Emma," Hook said, lifting her chin, "Not everyone's always going to abandon you. Please remember that." He tucked a stray lock behind an ear and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. "You're not alone either," he whispered, "I promise." She pulled back and wiped her face again. He stood, backing towards the cave entrance as he spoke.

"I'm gonna go find some firewood now, love. You gonna be alright without me here for a few minutes?" he asked, smirking.

"I'm sure I'll manage." Emma said, rolling her eyes. He hesitated a moment more, searching her eyes, before turning and leaving.

As he walked through the forest collecting firewood, he let his mind wander back to Emma. He'd never expected that from her. She was used to being alone, yes. That much was obvious. But it didn't seem like that's what she had ever really wanted. Someone must've done that to her.

Hook was used to playing this game with women. He'd charm them, they'd fall for him, and he'd move on when he was finished. But Emma was getting into his head. She wasn't just another woman. No one had ever bested him like that. She was a challenge, and that was something that was missing in his life. Neverland had been wonderful, of course, but there was no adventure, nothing to make him content. It was always very bittersweet too, because Milah had been the one who had pushed for it. He had made all of these plans with her for when they finally made it there. In all of the time he had been in that paradise, he was never truly happy. Milah's death was always lingering in the back of his mind. He couldn't get past the grief, the need for revenge.

Emma reminded him of Milah in some ways. She was incredibly brave and gutsy. She spoke her mind, not caring what others might think of her because of it. But they definitely had their differences as well. Milah was very much the kind of person that would throw caution to the wind and barrel into something headfirst, while Emma was guarded and thought everything through before acting. He could tell just by looking at her that she'd been taught by her experience that keeping people at arm's length was the best way to keep herself safe. Hook was sure he could crack that tough exterior and see what was underneath if he worked at it.

Hook returned to the cave not long after he left, bearing an armful of logs for a fire. He found Emma sitting in the same place he left her, arms huddled around her knees in an attempt to stave off the cold that was beginning to creep up on them. He set about starting the fire, unsure of what to say to clear the awkward silence that had settled around them.

"Tell me about Neverland," Emma finally said after the fire had been started and Hook was sitting next to her.

"It's enchanting. Time stops, so no one ages. The islands are absolutely stunning. The lagoons and the mermaids, the fairies. It's all beautiful. You could live forever in a wondrous paradise," he said, watching as the flames danced.

"Was it one of the lands affected by the curse? Is that why you're stuck here now?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"As of right now, I'm unsure that any land escaped the queen's wrath. And I was in Neverland right before the curse struck. I woke up here." He pulled a bottle of rum out of his bag, drinking straight from the bottle before offering it to her.

"You mentioned the Lost Boys earlier, does that include Peter Pan?" she asked, taking the bottle. He gave her a questioning look.

"Yes. How do you know about the lad?"

"In my world, all of these places and people are stories. Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Peter Pan. Every kid knows those stories. No one ever thought they could possibly be true," she said, taking a sip and passing the bottle back.

"Like the beanstalk story you mentioned earlier? Is that also how you knew me when we met? From these stories?"

"Yeah. Peter Pan was my favorite story when I was a kid. An orphan who got to live forever as a kid? Fighting pirates and being able to fly? It was something I could only dream about."

"I do hope they portrayed me accurately. How..." he trailed of when Emma started giggling.

"Really? That bad?"

"He had this long curly hair and a giant nose! And this tiny mustache thing! And he was never seen without the giant red hat." Hook covered his face.

"One time I wear that daft hat and that's what your world portrays me as? How do they explain the hook?" he said, raising the mentioned item attached to his arm.

"Peter Pan cut it off and fed it to a crocodile," Emma said, still grinning.

"Peter? Really? He was a nuisance at best. He wouldn't have had the courage to do something like that. Just an annoying little prat who led the lost boys."

"You sure about that? In the stories I know, he beat you more than once." Emma said, amused at how flustered this was making him.

"I let him win! He was an orphan and I felt sorry for him so I let him believe he bested me on a few separate occasions. It was actually very nice of me!" he nearly shouted before taking a gulp of the rum.

Emma couldn't help but laugh at his adamant denial.

"He was just a child. I wouldn't have hurt him if I wanted to."

"Ah, so you do have a moral code."

"I may be a pirate but I'm not cruel. I let the boy have his fun, and after a while he'd get bored and move on."

"So he never defeated you once?"

"Of course not! I don't get bested very often, and certainly never by a child."

"Why are you so indignant about this?"

"Because! Your entire world thinks I'm a blundering fool just because they got some twisted version of the truth! I'm sure it was Peter who did it too. He wasn't exactly smart enough to realize I let him win, and he loved telling exaggerated stories of his 'brave adventures,'" he said, gesturing wildly with the bottle of rum and nearly spilling it.

"You didn't strike me as someone who really cared what people thought of you."

"I do care what some people think of me, lass." he said, giving her a pointed look. She changed the subject.

"If he'd been older, would you have killed him?" she asked, taking the bottle back.

"Not killed him, no. I wouldn't have ever let him think he won though. That was merely me trying to be nice to someone who may not have had the best life thus far."

"So you have a soft spot for kids then? Or just orphans?" He glanced at her, seeing how she pointedly looked anywhere in the cave but at him.

"Why are you suddenly so curious about me, sweetheart?"

"I figure that, at least for the time being, we're stuck together. I was just curious about you," she said, taking a swig and still avoiding his gaze, "And I guess it helps take my mind off…things." Hook stared at her for a long moment before answering.

"Milah left behind a son when she came with me," he said, looking down, "It always made me incredibly guilty because she talked about him constantly. It was her biggest regret. She died without ever seeing him again," he said. Emma put a hand on his forearm, still not looking at him. He watched her face, enchanted by the shadows playing on her features.

"Why are you so guarded, love? Something more than growing up without parents must've happened." She didn't say anything, acting like she hadn't heard the question at all.

"You mentioned earlier that you might've been in love once. Does that have something to do with it?" Something flickered in her eyes before she took her hand back, frowning.

"It's late, and I want to start looking for an alternative to getting back to Henry in the morning. We should try and get some sleep," she said, still avoiding his eyes. She handed the bottle back to him before lying on her side with her back to him, effectively ending the conversation.

He watched her for a while, as if his stare could decipher her. There were things he noticed about her, things that she obviously tries to keep hidden from everyone. He was able to read her more easily than it seemed she was used to, so she built her walls up higher. Hook could tell that she'd been damaged by something more than just being raised an orphan. But the problem there was that to tell him anything about that, she would have to lower the barriers it had forced her to put up in the first place.

She shivered visibly as he watched her, the fire no longer being enough to stave off the cool of the night. Hook took note, digging through the small stash of items until he found a small blanket. He pulled it over her, a bit clumsily due to being one handed, and frowned slightly when she tensed up at the gesture.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"You look cold, darling. I was trying to help."

"I don't want help."

"I never said you did. You seem like you never want help from another person. That doesn't mean you don't need someone."

"What, and you think that someone is you?" she said quietly, her tone not quite matching the bite of her words.

"Not a lot of other choices at the moment. Like you said, we're stuck together." She sat up, glaring at him.

"I've spent most of my life making sure I didn't need anyone. What makes you think I'm gonna start now?"

"So it's not just me you don't trust."

"Too many people have proved to me that trust gets you hurt."

"Then let me prove them wrong," he said, moving closer.

"Why do you keep pushing with this?" Her tone almost sounded hurt.

"I've a feeling not many have. You deserve more than that, Emma."

Her expression looked half in shock and half in awe as she tried to figure out how to reply. No one had ever fought for her before. She shivered involuntarily and looked back at the dying embers of their fire.

"Come here, sweetheart."

"Why?"

"Because I can tell you're freezing and you won't last long with what you're wearing."

She hesitated before shivering again. That made her mind up for her, the need for warmth outweighing her distrust. She moved closer and let him wrap his arms around her and pull the blanket over them both.

"You better not be enjoying this, Hook."

"I always enjoy sleeping with beautiful women." She punched him in the chest.

"Point taken, now go to sleep, darling," he said softly, guiding her head to lie on his chest. She hid her amused smile, letting the lull of sleep overtake her.


	3. Chapter 3

**I profusely apologize for the delay in posting. Writers block is not fun.**

**This chapter is the last in Fairy Tale Land, but the story is far from over.**

* * *

It had been several weeks since Hook and Emma had been stranded in the Enchanted Forest. So far, they'd found absolutely nothing that would take them back. Emma was starting to lose hope, and no matter what Hook did, he couldn't raise her spirits.

"Ready, love?" Hook said, breaking the silence for the first time that day.

"What's the point anymore? I'm not even sure how long we've been stuck here, and we've found nothing. Zilch. Nada. What makes you think today could possibly be different?" she said, poking at the fire harder than strictly necessary.

"I'm sorry you're stuck here, Emma. But we can't just give up. What about Henry? He's waiting for you to come back. He needs you."

"You think I don't know that?" she snapped. "I have been telling myself that every day for the last God knows how long. There's no way to get to him at all. Why should I keep trying if at every turn all I find is nothing?"

"Emma…" Hook trailed off, "I'm sorry." They'd had this same conversation almost every day for the past week or so. He saw she was losing hope, and he wanted to help her, but his patience was wearing thin. "I'll go searching for today, you can stay here. I'll be back by sundown," he said, stalking out of the cave without a single glance back.

Emma watched him go.

* * *

Hook chose a random direction and just walked. He couldn't figure out why he cared about what Emma thought. Why did it infuriate him so much that she was so stubborn? How come she couldn't just see that all he was trying to do was make sure she got home? Why couldn't she just trust him? Why did it bother him so much that she didn't?

How did he get here?

When he finally paused to look around him, the sun had already begun its westward fall; it'll be dark soon. Looming in front of him was the Evil Queen's castle. He had been here a few times before, which is probably how he'd been able to find it. He quickly entered the castle through the servant's entrance. There had to be something the Queen had hidden that would help them. He skipped over the first few levels of the Castle – that was mostly servant quarters and the like. The spiral staircase at the center led all the way to the Queen's bedchambers at the top of the castle. The last time he had been here didn't seem all that long ago, but in reality it had been at least 28 years. He still couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact that 28 years had disappeared in what felt like seconds. Then again, he spent upwards of 300 years in Neverland, so it wasn't completely unfathomable.

The walls were still covered almost entirely in mirrors. Big, small, round, square, all framed in black and almost all were shattered. The disrepair in this place was disconcerting. The Queen's castle had been creepy enough without the shattered glass and torn drapes. The walls were covered in cobwebs; the roof had caved in on itself. It was nearly dark out as well, which really didn't help the whole searching thing.

Hook dug around a bit, not finding much in that room and slowly moving down the levels. He came across an old storage room on the third floor down. It was still one of the floors that was solely the Queen's, but even then, it looked like it was hardly ever used. There were piles of and piles of valuable items. Not extremely valuable, but as a whole this room probably could have fed a village for a year. There were plenty of mirrors in here as well, as there had been in every room he had searched so far, but there was one thing that stood out. There was a framed something in a back corner that had been covered in cloth. He stumbled through the cluttered room to the frame, slowly revealing what was underneath.

Another mirror.

_Are you bloody kidding me?_

He was hoping to find _something_ to take back to Emma. Anything at all that would have boosted her spirits and gave her the hope to keep fighting. And all he had to show for it was a billion bloody mirrors. This one had been protected by the cloth, and the reflection of himself staring back seemed to be mocking him. Before he could stop himself, he swung his hook at the mirror.

His arm went through it. Not in the normal glass-shattering kind of way. More like water. The surface rippled where his arm was, distorting his image. He pulled his arm back, and the surface seemed to solidify again, back to normal. This could be what he'd been looking for all along. He had to tell Emma.

He rushed out of the Castle as quickly as he could, but not before carefully ensuring the mirror was safely covered again. He quickly noted that it was dark out, which reminded him of their conversation that morning, when he promised to be back by sundown.

Swearing under his breath, he quickly set off in the direction he came. He knew that it had taken at least four hours for him to find the castle, but he'd been slow and a bit dazed on his way here. Hopefully he could get there sooner than that by at least doubling his speed.

With any luck, Emma won't kill him when he gets back.

* * *

"Hook!" Emma shouted as loud as she dared. This was about the time that ogres started rummaging around for food. She'd had more than a few close encounters with them, and wasn't anxious to start another.

The problem here was that after finally being alone long enough for her to think, she realized the last thing she wanted here was to be alone. Hook had been more than helpful the entire time they'd been stuck, and Emma was starting to realize that might actually mean something to her.

Well, maybe not now. It was starting to feel like abandonment all over again. She didn't really think that Hook would do this on purpose to get back at her, but the other options weren't very attractive either. After all, death was just another word for abandonment.

The sun was setting, and Emma needed to get a fire started before it got too cold to start one. Hook was smart enough to realize that it was dangerous to be in these woods after dark. He couldn't be too far away.

_Almost there_, Hook thought, picking up his speed. He knew in his head that he was close, but something felt off. He'd done his best to avoid all the areas that he knew were infested with ogres, but even with all the exploring they'd already done, there was no way to be sure. They were especially dangerous at night because darkness took away the advantage of their prey. He was recognizing more and more of the landscape, but the dangerous thing about this forest is that it can play tricks on you even in the dark. He slowed for a moment to catch his breath, noticing the first tendrils of dawn growing across the eastern horizon. That was a good sign. Not so much with Emma, but his well-being depended on not being eaten by an ogre before he reached her. Though that may not matter in the long run. Woman scorned, and all that.

He picked up his speed again, at least hoping to reach the cave before Emma awoke. But before that thought could even properly form in his head, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. The distraction was enough to knock him off his feet, as the forest ground is by no means hospitable in any sense of the word. He caught himself, quickly rolling back to his feet and dashing into a denser clump of trees. Just in time, too, because the ogre had just caught up.

The fire was burning brightly, and Emma sat as close as she dared without lighting her hair on fire. The blanket she and Hook usually shared was wrapped around her shoulders. She didn't actually realize that she'd begun to depend on Hook being there with her. It was strange, really. She'd been to plenty of new places in her life, and she'd been able to adapt quickly to even the most inhospitable. And she never needed anyone. She prided herself on it. But now, in a strange land with nothing and no one that was even recognizable, she finally understood fully what it means to be truly alone.

She lay down next to the fire, trying desperately to get some sleep so that at the very least, she wouldn't have to suffer through every moment of the biting cold.

"Hook?" Emma asked as a familiar figure stumbled into the cave they'd been hiding in. She jumped up from the fire she'd been stoking. The sun was finally over the horizon, and she'd been up for quite a while just shivering.

"I'm so glad you're ok." She said, wrapping her arms around his waist. She'd been nearly certain that he wouldn't make it back.

He winced, trying to keep Emma from noticing just how much pain he was in. He draped his arms around her, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

"Killian?" Emma asked, as he lost his footing a bit, almost knocking them both over. She pushed him back, getting a good look at his face for the first time since he stepped in. His forehead had a wide gash in it, and blood was dripping over a black eye, so swollen it was glued shut. "Guess what," Hook said, grinning wildly.

"What's that?" Emma asked, reaching up to dab at the gash on his forehead, gauging just how deep it was.

"I came across the Queen's Castle. I couldn't resist taking a peek. I think I may have found a way back to Henry." Emma's eyes widened. "How?"

"A magic mirror." His proud grin widened.

Emma's smile faltered. "A magic mirror? Really? Like in Snow White with the 'who's prettiest' competition?" Emma asked, pulling him into the cave and sitting him down near the fire. He laughed.

"I'm not certain what that means, but no. I knew a man named Jefferson who was fairly good at travelling between worlds. He told me that there were mirrors that were portals that could take you anywhere. He called it a Looking Glass. I know it can get us to your land, I'm just not entirely certain how to ensure our final destination."

"Oh! Alice in Wonderland! That must be it! The looking glass was a portal to Wonderland," Emma said, smiling again. She grabbed the water pouch from their small supply pile. "How do you know this will work? It'll get us to Storybrooke?" She ripped a section of her shirt off, wetting it a bit and pressing it to the gash on his forehead. He hissed at the pain, pulling away automatically before allowing her to clean the wound.

"From what I remember, Jefferson had said that it works in much the same way as his hat. You enter a room full of doors, and you find the right one. Shouldn't be too difficult." Emma smiled at him, a genuine smile, one he hadn't seen in weeks.

"I am sorry, sweetheart. For all this," Hook said, looking down. Emma pulled his face back up a bit more forcefully then strictly necessary. "Can you stop apologizing already? It wasn't even your fault that we got left behind. Cora fooled all of us. I'm just glad Snow and Mulan were able to follow her. Henry's not alone. I'm confident about that." She mopped up the blood dripping down his face. "Where else were you hurt?"

"I'll be fine, love. You don't need to-"

"Yes, I do. And I know that this can't be the only injury you got after fighting an ogre." She said, turning to the fire to stoke it for a second. The sun was up, but the chill was still hanging in the air.

Hook sighed, moving to pull up his vest with his hand. When he realized it hurt too much to move his arm, he relented.

"I think I've a few broken ribs, my arm has been pulled out of its socket, and I may have also sprained an ankle." He said, defeat evident in his voice. Emma smiled teasingly at him as she stopped the bleeding from the gash on his forehead before moving to unfasten his vest.

"So that's all I had to do to get you to undress me?" Hook asked, his flirtatious pirate smirk reappearing.

"I have to make sure these can heal on their own." Emma said, helping him sit up so she could take his vest and stereotypical pirate shirt off. His chest was painted with purple, black and blue splotches. She ran a hand over them, making sure nothing was too out of place.

"Aren't you still afraid that Henry will think he's been abandoned?" He asked.

"The way I see it now, he knows I love him, and he knows that if I could be with him, I would. I have no doubt that Mary Margaret and David explained that to him too." She said, still focusing on his ribs.

"When did you come to that conclusion? A day ago you were still beating yourself up over it."

She made eye contact for a moment before returning her focus to his chest. She was fairly certain they were all just fractured, but a second look couldn't hurt. "I've had a long day with only my thoughts as company," she said rather enigmatically. After she was satisfied that they'd heal eventually, she moved him to sit up again. "This is gonna hurt, but it'll help you in the long run," she said, grabbing his discarded shirt from the floor, " Put this in your mouth and bite down as hard as you can.". He complied, never taking his one good eye off her. She watched him for a second before suddenly pushing his shoulder into place. He let out a muffled cry, squeezing his eyes shut so hard a tear leaked from the corner. He let the shirt fall from his mouth a few moments later, after letting most of the pain subside. He tried taking deep breaths, but that just hurt more, broken ribs and all. Emma tied his scarf around his neck and put his arm in it, fashioning a sling. She smiled at him, finally making eye contact.

"What happened to the fearsome pirate?" She said jokingly, wiping the stray tear from his cheek.

"Did you have to make it so bloody painful?" He deadpanned, making her laugh. It was a beautiful sound, one that he hadn't much heard before.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are, darling?" Hook said. She rolled her eyes a bit, moving to add a log to the fire. He stopped her, hooking her arm and pulling her back.

"Emma, I mean it. You're incredibly attractive, yes, but it's more than that. You're unlike any woman I've ever met, and you've intrigued me since the moment I first laid eyes on you." He sat up more, ignoring the pain. She stared at him for a moment, seemingly gauging how earnest he really was.

"It's been a long time since anyone has ever said anything like that." She said, so quietly it was almost a whisper. She looked back down, pretending to fix his sling. He leaned forward a bit more, lifting her chin back up with his hook.

"You deserve it."

Their faces were only inches apart, and Emma lost the ability to resist the feelings that had been nagging her since day one. She closed the gap between their lips, kissing him gently. She pulled away after a second, telling herself that she didn't want to risk making his injuries worse. But if she was honest with herself, it was because she was terrified. Terrified that, like Graham, she would start developing feelings for him and then lose him. Or, even worse, she'd fall on love and get burned, like she had with Neal.

"We've both had a long day, we should try and get some rest," she said, busying herself with grabbing the blanket. She helped him put the baggy pirate shirt back on before draping the blanket over him.

"Emma..." Hook started, trailing off when he caught the look in her eyes, "Where did you learn to do all this medical stuff?" He decided on, figuring pushing her to admit something right now would be fruitless. A relieved look passed through her eyes, confirming his suspicions. She curled up next to him, letting him put his hooked arm around her.

"I learned a lot of stuff from helping out in the infirmary when I was in jail. I was there every week anyway, for..." She trailed off, not sure how much she really wanted to share at the moment. Hook opened his mouth to ask about that, but he could tell it was a touchy subject, and he didn't want to scare her away.

"He tore Milah's heart out. Rumplestiltskin, I mean. She had been trying to protect me, and he killed her for it. She died in my arms."

Emma stayed silent for a long time, and Hook almost gave up, thinking that she had fallen asleep.

"I was pregnant with Henry when I was in prison. I was in the infirmary each week so they could check on him." Emma said. It was all she could really say. She'd become so used to having no one to rely on that even that much information was hard to share.

Hook pulled her a bit closer, silently acknowledging her story but knowing she wouldn't appreciate whatever he could think to say about it. They both stayed silent for a while, listening to the crackling fire.

"Tomorrow morning, we can finally get you back to Henry." Hook said, but by then Emma was already asleep.

* * *

Hook and Emma set off early the next morning, as soon as the sun peeked over the horizon. They needed as much daylight they could get, because with Hook in this condition, they moved slowly. Emma kept her hand on the small of Hook's back, supporting him. He wouldn't have ever admitted it, but every step was extremely excruciating. Emma could read it on his face. After a few hours, it was getting a bit hard to watch. Thankfully, they were able to reach the castle while it was still light out.

"Right through here," Hook said, indicating the door that led to the looking glass. "Ladies first."

Emma rolled her eyes, hiding a smile, before stepping through the threshold. "Holy crap, she horded almost as much stuff as the giant," Emma said, looking around the large room. It was full of antiques and other things that looked like they'd be extremely valuable to the right person. It wasn't all gold like the giant's lair was, but it was all very pricy.

"The looking glass is back there, love." Hook said, with barely a glance around. At the top of the beanstalk, he'd been more interested in the treasures in the giant's lair than the task at hand. What changed?

She followed him back to the covered mirror, and he uncovered it with a flourish. It looked like it was just a mirror.

"This is it? I don't know what I was expecting, but this isn't it."

"Trust me, darling. Touch the surface, you'll see."

She did as he said, just barely skimming the mirror. The glass rippled as if it had suddenly turned liquid, before stilling and turning back to glass.

"Whoa."

"Ready, Emma?" he asked, extending his hand. Emma examined it a moment before taking it. Hook grinned at her through the mirror before stepping forward, Emma following.

* * *

**Next chapter will be up as soon as possible. Thank you for reading! Tell me what you thought!**


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